Reviews with content warning for Forced institutionalization - Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard

The very first time I took the Pottermore house quiz, I was in denial about being a Slytherin. Me? In the same house as Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, LORD VOLDERMORT? Wild (though, Draco 😏) Eventually, I changed my tune & I am a proud Slytherin. Why wouldn’t I want to be in a house with traits like cunning, ambition, leadership, & determination? Also, our sweet baby Draco had such a beautiful character arc. 💚

Beyond the Wand just solidified my love of Malfoy & being a Slytherin. I loved getting to see what life was like for Tom Felton during his HP days. The way he read the story to us felt like listening to a friend. It was engaging, funny, & inviting. I loved getting to hear his opinion on his character as an adult & what he took away from the films. I thought this book was going to be mainly about HP but the last 2-hours of the story was the most important part of the whole story. Tom’s journey with recovery, mental health, & finding a balance was told so beautifully.

Shoutout to @josieandherkinny for sending me pictures of the foreward written by Emma Watson. It was not included in the audiobook unfortunately. That foreward was a love letter & I am so honored they shared it with us. No one can make me believe they are not in love. ❤️✨

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theintrovertsbooks's review

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funny inspiring medium-paced

4.25

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inkyinsanity's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

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bakergirlsbooks1999's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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rhiannon814r's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

The Half-Blood Prince's dressing room door, Warwick Davis's Segway, hot takes from two entire Dumbledores, quacking with Emma Watson, and Alan Rickman's Fucking Cloak have healed my inner child.

Felton weaves together a story of hilarity, humility, and community - and of finding personal identity outside of (and despite) it all. While it's not the finest literature I've ever read, Beyond the Wand was so much better than I anticipated. I used to wish I could reread Harry Potter again for the first time. This was better. Beyond the Wand was filled with nostalgia, and just like Felton in his memoir, I was simultaneously able to relive the excitement and escapism I felt as a child, while still acknowledging, experiencing, and respecting the pain of the present. Thank you for sharing your story, Tom. Keep quacking.

"For months, you've been a travelling circus act. You've been a tight-knit community. You've travelled to a dozen different cities. You've broken bread together. You've acted together. You've messed up together and got it right together. You've left your home and your families, you've bundled up together in a hotel miles away, and while it's not always jokes and laughter, you develop a certain bond and intimacy. And then, suddenly, it's over, and this community that has been your surrogate family disappears to the four corners of the earth. It doesn't exist anymore. We almost always say the same thing: that we'll be in touch, that we'll hook up next week, that we'll relive the old times, and no doubt we mean it sincerely. Occasionally it does even happen. We all know, though, deep down, that we've reached the checkpoint. Whatever your experience on the film, good or bad, a moment in time that was special and unique has passed and we can never get it back."

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milliemudd's review

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

3.25

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itsdeenlee's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

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aus10england's review

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adventurous hopeful informative fast-paced

3.75

this memoir is broken down into three natural sections; pre HP, HP, and post HP, which I felt did a great job at showing each phase of tom’s life rather well! I loved hearing about the behind the scenes info, and was really moved by the author’s time in recovery, I didn’t expect any of that. great for any fan of HP or celebrity memoirs!

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